When I was in college I had a boyfriend whose favorite food was mayonnaise.

I know. That should have been a red flag right there.

He was really good looking and charming, so I was able to overlook (or at least look away from) his habit of eating a condiment. Like it was some kind of savory pudding. Out of the jar with a spoon.

We broke up for reasons not related to his depraved love of sandwich spread.

It was soon after our breakup that I discovered that he'd left an opened, 128-ounce jar of mayonnaise in my refrigerator. If I hadn't been the poster child for starving students everywhere, I would have just thrown out the jar. However, at that point in my life, I was poor enough that I couldn't waste food for sentimental reasons. Any food.

My First Favorite Mayonnaise Recipe

Luckily, one of my favorite dishes to make is Waldorf salad. The Waldorf salad, as the name implies, is a signature dish of the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City. It was invented not by the hotel's chef, but by its Maitre D', Oscar Tshirky, who was apparently a huge foodie.

What follows is the recipe for Oscar's original salad as it was published in his cookbook — titled "The Cook Book" — in 1896.

Waldorf Salad

Peel two raw apples and cut them into small pieces, say about half an inch square, also cut some celery the same way, and mix it with the apple. Be very careful not to let any seeds of the apples be mixed with it. The salad must be dressed with a good mayonnaise.

I was surprised when I read this recipe because, in the last century, Waldorf salad recipes have become more and more byzantine with the addition of everything from nuts to shredded carrots. The original Waldorf salad is quite a thrifty and simple dish.

A Piece of Cake

Because I was poor, and mayonnaise's main ingredients are eggs and oil, I used a lot of my ex's mayo as a cheap substitute for eggs in baking recipes. Today I substitute three tablespoons of mayonnaise for every egg the recipe calls for.

Even if you are a terrible cook, mayonnaise can give boxed cake mix that "homemade" flavor. This classic lemon pound cake recipe that calls for yellow cake mix, instant lemon pudding mix, and mayonnaise is all over the Internet, but this version has the best vintage food commentary that promises, "A secret ingredient that will cause a sensation at your next lunch or dinner party."

Who doesn't want to cause a sensation at their next lunch party?

Some Other Favorite Mayo Recipes

Do you love chocolate chip cookie dough but worry endlessly about salmonella poisoning from raw eggs? Use mayo instead.

I prefer salad dressing - a lighter, more piquant flavor that also can be consumed straight out of the jar! It goes well with peanut butter, and I recently learned Kraft is marketing new flavored versions of Miracle Whip for use as a dip as well as a spread.

I'm not a huge fan of mayo but it actually makes sense that it could be used as a secret ingredient for moist baked goods. Since I've gotten on a healthier-food kick I've been substituting plain greek yogurt for mayo in different things, and been using mashed avocado in things like tuna and chicken salad to give it more flavor. Just a thought!